Refuge

In 2010, an Eritrean refugee named Habtom Kibreab took his own life in Halifax after learning that his refugee claim had been denied by Immigration Canada and that he was almost certain to be deported. Mary Lynk made an award-winning documentary called Habtom's Path for CBC Radio about his story, and now a play, based partially on that documentary, is premiering on the Neptune Studio stage. Written by Mary Vingoe and co-produced by Eastern Front Theatre and HomeFirst Productions, Refuge is a mixture of imagined and verbatim text from the radio interviews set within the fictional world of the characters involved. This powerful play shines a light on Canada's byzantine refugee system and the toll that it takes those seeking refuge. —Kate Watson